great music (..) Porcupine Tree

Ouch

I have In Absentia on CD and I hate it enough in stereo to not want to hear a 5.1 mix. But that's a whole other story.

And in fact, 2 channel audio really is enough to fully perceive 3D. It's called binaural audio, headphones are usually required though.
The human ear cannot really hear "direction". It can only hear variations in volume, which it can interpret as direction. Using binaural recording techniques this can easily be mimicked. Have a look at this video if you don't believe me: http://www.binauralairwaves.com/2009/03 ... -of-3.html
That whole weblog should have lots of information and examples for binaural audio.

who cares?? i just love that part of the porcupine tree CD where the Guitar wraps around the speakers... yes all 5 of them.. obviously the 0.1 being the sub.

With good speaker placement its kinda like the guitar is surrounding you.. hence Surround sound...
.binaural blah blah...... yes we only have two ears.

judgeing and interpreting sounds at different distances giving us a perception of a space...

stereo (2.1) gives us only two sources of sound plus a sub... each source (left and right) is made up of different tracks at different volumes...

5.1 gives us 5 sources of sound built of different audio tracks at different volumes. therefore creating a much larger medium for creating a 'space' with the sound. then the bottom end gets thrown at the sub... the 0.1

I heard Dev use the 0.1 (sub) in hummer properly.. so why not use front and back as well??

i dont care if i have only two ears... 5.1 creates more room to hear these sounds.

IMO it would be great to hear dev make an album built for 5.1.. as the 'space' he creates in stereo is sooooo good i can only imagine what he'd do in surround.

if its not his cup of tea then i'll accept that... in the end its about the music... and Dtb at the mo' is rocking my hairy anus.

[Octillus]

Maybe a new live album in 5.1. I mean, that's not really all that hard to do, and that way you'd get some older stuff in there in 5.1?

great music (..) Porcupine Tree

Ouch

I have In Absentia on CD and I hate it enough in stereo to not want to hear a 5.1 mix. But that's a whole other story.

And in fact, 2 channel audio really is enough to fully perceive 3D. It's called binaural audio, headphones are usually required though.
The human ear cannot really hear "direction". It can only hear variations in volume, which it can interpret as direction. Using binaural recording techniques this can easily be mimicked. Have a look at this video if you don't believe me: http://www.binauralairwaves.com/2009/03 ... -of-3.html
That whole weblog should have lots of information and examples for binaural audio.

I am aware of Binaural recording. However, from my understanding, it is a difficult technique to achieve and is only demostrable using headphones. Science and graphs can prove numerous things when it comes to sound. However, more often than not, I do not agree. Going back to the old .mp3 argument or vinyl vs. cd, I am always opposed to the imperical data. The fact remains that the film industry has forced 5.1 audio down our throats. Most films don't even have a stereo mix anymore. A great number of people have adopted the technology and those who haven't are just stubborn. 15 years ago it would have been too expensive but today, you can get a blu-ray surround system for under $500. That is stupid cheap for what you are getting. Of course it's crap but anyone can afford a surround setup today.
If artists want to continue to sell a product (albums), they are going to have to make them more interesting. Some artists use multiple special editions to entice spenders, others have expanded into different formats. Nine Inch Nails' Ghosts was the first project mixed and mastered entirely with blu-ray in mind afaik. This allows the artist hi-def picture (static or moving) as well as lossless surround audio. If you truly love the sound of music, I don't know why you would prefer a standard-fidelity cd when there are so many infinitely better options.
Seriously though, so you don't like Porcupine Tree... try the 5.1 mix of Opeth's Still Life. I highly doubt you could listen to the stereo version and the surround and tell me that the stereo was a more enjoyable and immersive listen. I'd wager you'll even find new parts that you may have detected before but never "heard". Even though DD is lossy, the brilliance of a PRS guitar is showcased spectacularly on this mix.
I can understand if you've heard 5.1 mixes of classic rock or older material and were turned off. Most of the SACD's and DVD-A's I own are from older artists and the music doesn't translate well to surround. I can honestly say, when I listen to the Allman Bros or The Police in high fidelity, I listen to the stereo mixes. Artists that have embraced it and have used surround in newer recordings are a different story though. Peter Gabriel's Up is unquestioningly more enjoyable in 5.1 than in stereo.

Nine Inch Nails' Ghosts was the first project mixed and mastered entirely with blu-ray in mind afaik.

Man, the 5.1 of The Downward Spiral nearly knocked me out, it's just IMMENSE.

Nine Inch Nails' Ghosts was the first project mixed and mastered entirely with blu-ray in mind afaik.

Man, the 5.1 of The Downward Spiral nearly knocked me out, it's just IMMENSE.

I wish that SACD survived. It's such a great sounding format.